Wishes & Weapons
by pulldownthedawn
Summary: "Buffy hadn't ever been very good at geography, but she was pretty certain that there was no such place as the United Republic of Nations." Review? T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1: Not In Kansas

Wishes and Weapons

_Disclaimer: I do not own _Buffy the Vampire Slayer _nor _The Legend of Korra_. They belong to Whedon and Bryke, respectively._

Chapter One: Not in Kansas

There was a pounding in her head that thrummed to the beat of her heart. Her eardrums were pierced by the sound of thousands of tiny bells ringing. Her skin felt sensitive and stung. Her body ached as if it had been pulled in a million directions at once, and she felt her stomach churning, warning her of its current vomit potential.

In a flash her mind was flooded with images: the school gym, a demon who looked as though she'd tried to scrub her face off, words spoken in a guttural, ancient language, and a blinding blue-white light. She felt two large hands wrap around her upper arms and immediately opened her eyes. Shooting up, she kicked the hands' owner square in the chest, then rolled forward and pinned him down. Wide, terrified green eyes stared up at her. Innocent human eyes. Before she could speak however, her movements caught up with her stomach, and vomiting was no longer a potential threat but an actuality. She quickly slid off the boy and found a box to empty her stomach into.

Once she had finished, she slowly turned around and slumped against a nearby wall. She lolled her head back to take in the room. It was obviously a gym, though very far from being the one in her school. It was much smaller, and there wasn't much in it except for a large net that was strung up from floor to ceiling, some balls and green discs, and a ladder that led up to an opening in the ceiling. Her eyes eventually came to rest on the boy she'd attacked. He was still on the ground, but had rolled onto his stomach and was staring at her anxiously. He had unruly black hair, pale skin, and was wearing a jumpsuit that looked like a 1970's NASCAR driver's castoff. He was definitely human though, as far as she could tell.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she slowly pushed herself away from the wall, her muscles aching in protest.

The boy just continued to stare at her for a moment. He then looked around him as if trying to find the person she was talking to. When he realized it was him he let out a meek, "Y-yeah. Are you?"

"Peachy," she replied with a smirk. She flinched slightly as the movement on her face caused her a twinge of pain. Her face must've gotten cut up. "Sorry about all that. I...had a rough night." She laughed softly then looked up at him seriously. "It is over, right? The night, I mean. It's morning?"

The boy nodded slowly, looking at her as if she'd just asked him if he knew the way to Candy Mountain.

_This isn't working, _she thought with a frown. Carefully, she got to her feet and walked toward the boy, offering a hand to him. Tentatively, he accepted it and stood up.

"I think we started off on the wrong foot." She smiled brightly at him, still holding his hand. "I'm Buffy."

"Bolin." He smiled in return. "So...uh...what _were _you doing last night exactly?"

She dropped his hand. "Well, I was working out. That's kind of what people do in a gym." She chuckled nervously.

"You must've been working out hard then." He bent down to her, scrutinizing the cuts and bruises on her face. "_Really _hard."

"I'm _really_ klutzy."

"I live right upstairs and I don't remember hearing anything last night..."

Buffy's mind raced as she tried to come up with a plausible excuse, but none came to her. She watched him warily as he straightened up and grinned.

"Well that just proves it," he said, almost triumphantly. "I can sleep through anything."

Buffy found herself laughing hysterically at this, more out of relief rather than its humor value. Bolin seemed thoroughly pleased with himself all the same.

"She's awake," another black haired boy said, sounding mildly surprised, as he entered the gym. He had an Angel-esque broody face.

"Who?" A brown skinned girl with dark brown hair wandered in after the boy, much more surprised than the boy to see Buffy.

"This is Buffy." Bolin wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Buffy shifted uncomfortably under his arm. "Mako and I found her passed out on the gym floor this morning." He placed a hand on the side of his mouth, shielding it from Buffy, and leaned forward to whisper, "She's a little clumsy." He straightened up again and smiled at Buffy sympathetically. "Buffy, this is my brother Mako and our friend, Korra. You know, _the Avatar_." He said the last part nonchalantly, but with a hint of "you-should-totally-know-who-this-is-and-be-very-impressed."

Buffy nodded and tried to appear awed. "Wow! Korra the _Avatar_! It's an...honor."

Korra smiled. "It's nice to meet you, too. So, what team are you on, Buffy?"

"Team?" Buffy furrowed her brow.

"Your pro-bending team?" Mako clarified, though not without condescension. "You _are_ on a team, aren't you?"

When Buffy's confused expression only deepened and became slightly angry, Mako groaned. "Another Tahno fangirl. Great."

"Why would one of Tahno's fangirls come into the gym in the middle of the night, seriously injure themselves, and pass out?" Bolin asked, looking at Buffy.

"Pretty Boy must've brought her here. They were probably drunk and he let her hurt herself for his own entertainment. When she passed out, he left." Korra's face reddened with rage.

"What I don't understand is how all of this happened without me hearing it." Mako also looked at Buffy. She was cornered. They were all looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to explain herself.

"Well, I..." She gave a sigh of frustration. "I didn't hurt myself in the gym. I was in a fight and...and I woke up here. I'm...not from around here. I have no idea where I am, or who any of you are, or what pro-bending is. I'm having a kind of _Wizard of Oz _moment. Minus the tacky red shoes. I just need to find the...person I was fighting and I'll be on my way home." _At least, I hope it's that easy._

A silence followed. Buffy looked around at the trio. Korra's big blue eyes were unreadable. Mako's eyebrows were knitted together and he was frowning in concentration. Bolin was looking at her with something akin to empathy. It was Korra who broke the silence.

"Was it an Equalist?"

Buffy blinked. "A what?"

"Someone who's against bending," Bolin explained.

_What is with this obsession with bending? _"Oh, uh, yeah! It was a female Equalist. She has a serious skin condition. Her face is wrinkly with red lines all over it. Kind of like scars. Seen her around?"

"No, they usually wear masks." Korra stepped further into the room, looking at Buffy doubtfully. "So this Equalist kidnapped you and brought you here?"

Buffy nodded. "Where exactly is 'here'?"

"Republic City!" Bolin exclaimed excitedly. When Buffy failed to share in his enthusiasm, he slumped. "The...capitol of the URN...?"

Buffy squinted as if trying to read the answer on Bolin's face. "Urn...?"

Mako planted his face in his palm. "The United Republic of Nations."

It took all of Buffy's willpower to ignore him. "Oh, of course! Republic City. I've totally heard of it before." _Where the hell did that demon send me?_

"Where are you from?" Mako picked his head up to stare intently at her. His eyes seemed to glow in the shadows he was standing in-bright and intense, but angst-ridden and unreadable. _Must've bought the same 'Brooding and Lurking for Dummies' book as Angel._

She crossed her arms. "Somewhere really far away."

"What's it called?" he challenged.

Obviously the demon had brought her into some sort of other world. She'd seen _Back to the Future_ (albeit against her will), she knew she shouldn't tell them too much about herself until she could determine where exactly she was; she didn't know how it would affect things. As if they'd ever heard of California. Buffy hadn't ever been very good at geography, but she was pretty certain that there was no such place as the United Republic of Nations. In her universe, at least. She just needed to find the demon and then get out of here as soon as possible. Her friends were probably freaking out, and she had no idea what they were going to tell her mother...

"Look, I don't have time for this." She walked toward the gym doors. "So if you haven't seen the wrinkly girl, I'll be on my way."

"But where are you going to stay?" Bolin called out to her. "This city can be a scary place when you don't know your way around." Buffy stopped walking and turned to look at him. There was something very sad in his eyes as he said this. Buffy smiled kindly at him.

"I'll be fine. I'm a big girl. Don't forget, I kicked your butt back there."

"Well, you just...caught me off guard." He blushed. "But seriously, you can't-"

"I'll see you around, Bolin." She gave him a brief wave before spinning on her heel and walking out of the gym.

"She was...different." Korra crossed her arms.

Bolin pouted, staring at the doors for a few moments before Korra threw a waterball at him.

…

_Find a library. Do the research thing. Find the demon. Kick its wrinkly ass. Go home. _Buffy had been repeating this list to herself over and over again as she wandered down the busy streets. The idea of searching through dozens of dusty old books didn't motivate her as much as the idea of fighting the demon. She imagined that scene most vividly, as well as her return home, and those thoughts fueled her determination to find the library. The only problem was that she had no idea where to find said library. This place was like New York City...but way more Asian...and way more 1930s. Buffy still couldn't get over the cars they had-one kick from her and she was pretty sure they would fall completely apart.

And the clothing! Some of the outfits she saw definitely should have been left in the closets from whence they came, but overall she found them to be beautiful. From the vibrant reds to the earthy greens, the silks to the cottons, Buffy itched to go into one of the small shops just to try on _something_. She had more important things to do though. Shopping would, unfortunately, have to wait.

She was torn from her thoughts by a shrill cry. Rounding a corner, she found a slender man and a brown-skinned boy of no more than eight years old. The boy was dirty and wearing very worn clothing. He was covered in scrapes and newly forming bruises. He crouched against the wall of the building behind him, his eyes closed tightly, whimpering. The man was finely dressed and wearing a look of intense disgust as he stared at the boy.

"You owe me your _life_, filthy Street Rat!" the man spat. "Now tell me what you saw!"

The boy shook his head violently, tears rolling down his cheeks. The man growled and stamped hard on the ground. It was as if he'd hit an eject button; the cement beneath the eight year old rose up sharply, sending him flying into the air. Buffy caught him easily, staring at the man in rage. She softened her expression as she looked at the boy in her arms.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

The boy blinked at her, his eyes wide and frightened, before he burst into tears and twisted out of her arms. Without another look at her, he began running away. Buffy saw movement out of the corner of her eye and sent a roundhouse kick at the man, sending him tumbling to the ground in surprise.

"This isn't your fight, little girl," the man growled.

"It is now." Buffy got into a defensive stance.

The man jumped to his feet and made a swift motion with his fists. A large chunk of rock went hurtling toward Buffy but she managed to dodge it at the last second. She ran forward to be within kicking distance of him, and just as she'd lifted her left leg, the man motioned lightning quick with his hands. The pavement Buffy had been standing on rose up her right leg and froze just before it reached her knee. Buffy's left leg came down immediately and she began pulling on her right, trying, in vain, to free it.

"This is why you should keep your nose out of other peoples' business." He reached out to nudge her chin with his knuckles. Buffy grabbed onto the man's wrist and squeezed. The man cried out in pain and dropped to his knees.

"I don't know what kind of demon you are, and personally, I don't care," she said flippantly. "But you get your stupid rocks off me. Now."

The man raised a shaky hand and made a small motion. The rocks surrounding Buffy's leg crumbled away. She let go of the man's wrist, but seized him by his shirt front, lifting him a few inches off the ground.

"One more thing: I'm looking for another demon. She's about this high, red hair, has seriously scarred skin, and the ability to transport people to other worlds. Sound familiar?"

"Wh-what are you _talking _about?" the man whimpered.

"Hey! Put the man down, Princess!" someone called out.

Buffy turned to see two men approaching. Both of them were finely dressed in what Buffy henceforth referred to as 'Total Sleazebag Style.'

"Just put him down," the taller one said. "Wouldn't want to see a pretty thing like you get hurt." He looked over at his friend who flashed her a wicked smile as a flame appeared above his right hand.

Buffy groaned. "I'm kind of in a hurry, so can we skip the pre-fight harassment?"

The man laughed. "You want to fight us?" He shook his head. "You're not gonna fight us."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "I'm not going to fight you because..."

"Because in order to fight, you'd have to have a chance at winning. You got no chance, Sweetheart. It's three on one."

Buffy appeared thoughtful for a moment, seeming to contemplate this statement. Without warning, she full-force punched the demon she was holding, rendering him unconscious. She dropped him to the ground, and he crumpled up like a ragdoll.

"I think my chances are improving." She smirked.

Tall Man narrowed his eyes and nodded at Fire Man. Fire Man began rapidly sending fire blasts Buffy's way, while Tall Man called forth a stream of water from a nearby fountain, which he began using like a whip. Buffy ducked and jumped as she tried to run out of their firing range. A large flame burned its way across Buffy's shoulder. She cried out in pain but didn't stop running. She was just about out when she was pulled back by the stream of water Tall Man was manipulating. When she hit the ground, the water around her middle turned into ice. The two men approached her.

"What should we do with her?" Fire Man asked in a gravelly voice, bending over Buffy.

"I have a few ideas." Tall Man chuckled darkly.

Buffy put her hands on her ice brace and pushed. Fire Man laughed and placed his hands over hers.

"You're not getting out of this, Baby," he murmured. He heated up his hands, running them up and down Buffy's. Her skin began to feel hypersensitive and tingled, warning her of the pain she would feel if she didn't remove the heat source soon. Buffy felt the ice melting, soaking her shirt. She squirmed some more against the ice, inviting Fire Man to apply more heat to her hands. She grit her teeth to hold back the cry of pain that wanted to escape her mouth.

It all seemed to happen in a single flash of movement: Buffy kicked Fire Man in the groin, he fell on top of her, she smashed the melting ice with a single punch, hit Fire Man in the head with a chunk of ice, pushed him off her, jumped up, backflipped, and kicked Tall Man across the jaw.

She looked around at the three unconscious bodies lying on the ground around her. She saw sharp movement in her peripheral vision and quickly turned. It was the boy who the first demon was attacking. He tentatively walked toward her, playing with the buttons on his ripped and dirty shirt nervously. His big blue eyes never wavered from staring into hers.

"You-you're not a bender," he stated.

Comprehension dawned on Buffy's expression. "Those guys were _bending_?"

The boy nodded, looking slightly confused.

She knelt down to be at eye-level with the boy. "Are you a Bender?"

The boy shook his head emphatically. "I hate Benders."

"I don't blame you." She moved to stand, hissing as pain shot through her body.

"You need help." The boy grabbed her hand and began pulling her down the street, making Buffy cry out as the movement made her burned shoulder scream with pain.

"I'll be all right," she said unconvincingly as she withdrew her hand from the boy's. "I just need to find a library. Can-you do know what a library is, right? A place with lots of books? Most of them smell like your grandparents' attic?"

The boy blinked. "I'll take you there."

The first man Buffy knocked out groaned and began shifting around. Buffy heard the _swish _and squeal that one associates with a self-retracting tape measure being pulled out of its holder. It echoed down the street.

"Metalbenders!" the boy exclaimed in a whisper. "We have to get out of here!"

He grabbed Buffy's hand once more and pulled her back the way she'd come. Just before they rounded the corner, she looked behind to see two people, covered in metal bodysuits and using thick metal strings to crawl up the street. The boy gave her arm a sharp tug and she followed, chased by the shouts of "It was that girl! Didn't you see her? What kind of police are you?"


	2. Chapter 2: Equality

Chapter Two: Equality

_Disclaimer: I do not own _The Legend of Korra _nor _Buffy the Vampire. _They belong to Bryke and Whedon._

**Author's Note: Thank you all for the kind reviews and the story alerts/favorites. I'm thrilled that people are enjoying reading this! Please continue to let me know what you liked/what you thought didn't work in each chapter. I'm always open to constructive criticism. :) Again, thank you!**

A hooded figure stood before a wide window, staring down upon a city so brightly lit it would have appeared to be constructed from jewels and gold to outsiders and the Blinded. The hooded figure was not an outsider, nor among the Blinded; he saw the tarnish on the gold and knew that the jewels were nothing more than colored glass. He forgave outsiders for their mistake. The Blinded on the other hand...

The Blinded lived within the city walls and still only saw riches and prosperity, never the filth, desperation, and blood that walked its streets. They refused to. They never wanted to notice anything that didn't reside in the world of the elements they could move at will. They were above all else outside of it. Including their fellow man. _They must be enlightened, _the Hooded One thought.

"Your inner monologuing is depressing me." A smaller figure appeared silently beside the Hooded One. He turned slightly to look at the new arrival.

The smaller figure rolled its eyes and released an irritated sigh. "No, I can't read your thoughts, but they're easy enough to guess. Human thoughts aren't generally too complex."

"Where is it?" the Hooded One demanded in a low, rumbling voice.

"Don't take that tone with me, Human." The smaller figure's eyes flashed dangerously. The two figures stared at each other, seeming to challenge on another. Finally, the Hooded One spoke.

"I apologize." The Hooded One turned to look back out the window.

The Small One eyed him doubtfully but seemed appeased. She also looked out the window.

"_She _is in the city," the Small One said casually.

"What is she?"

"A human girl. A powerful one. This won't mean much to you, but where she comes from she is known as the Slayer."

A brief silence followed.

"And you could not bring her directly to me?" The question was slow and patient, but it carried an edge with it.

The Small One growled. "You try bringing a Slayer into an alternate reality, while she is trying to lop your head off, and see how far you get! Ungrateful Jerk!" The Small One vanished.

The Hooded One did not move. He was lost in his thoughts, the loudest one being, _Then I will find her._

…

"You look funny," the young boy, Kaito, commented.

Buffy cocked an eyebrow and stared down at him. "It's because I'm not Asian, isn't it?" she replied sardonically.

"I've never seen anyone who looks like you before," he continued, ignoring her comment.

"Can we get back to reading now?" Buffy blinked. "I can't believe those words just came out of my mouth. Oh god, I'm turning into Giles." She dropped her head onto the table.

Kaito rolled his eyes and looked down at the massive book before him.

"'Kappa are the size of children,'" he read in a bored tone, "and have scaly rept..._rept-ee-lee-uhn _skin that is blue, green, or yellow in color.'" He turned the page and his eyes widened in surprise. "Hey, these guys look cool!"

"They sound like mutant lizards," Buffy replied, her voice muffled by the table her face was still pressed against. "Been there, done that, and still had time to kick some frat boy ass."

"No, look!" Kaito pushed the book toward her.

Buffy slowly lifted her head. "I told you, I can't-" Her eyes came to rest on the page. She pulled the book toward her. As she rapidly flipped through it, the dust that lay upon the edges of the pages went flying. Kaito coughed. She went through almost the entire book before turning her gaze to the boy.

"This is a _picture _book? Why didn't you say something?" she demanded.

Kaito narrowed his eyes. "You said you couldn't read."

"I can't read _Chinese_," she clarified, frustrated. "The pictures aren't in Chinese! This whole time I could have been zipping through it instead of doing Story Time with a seven year old."

"I'm eight!" Kaito cried, highly offended.

Buffy ignored him. "This could have gone so much faster!" She pouted as she looked out the nearest window. Her stomach growled; it had to be near dinner time and she hadn't eaten all day.

A small, frail-looking old man came shuffling into Buffy's view. "The library is closing now, Miss," he squeaked.  
Buffy groaned. "I'll have to come back _tomorrow_?"

The man was rather taken aback by this, but quickly settled into a kindly smile as a realization dawned on him. "I'm afraid so, my dear. Have no fear-the books will all be eagerly awaiting your return." He shuffled away, murmuring, "It's so good to see young people who are so excited by reading!"

Buffy crossed her arms and slouched in her chair. She drew in a deep breath and looked over at Kaito. "Food," she stated simply. "Do you know where we can get some? That's free?"

Kaito nodded enthusiastically and jumped out of his seat. "But we have to hurry or all the good parts will be gone!"

…

Apparently Buffy and Kaito had differences of opinion when it came to the definition of the phrase 'good parts.' To Buffy, it implied that said parts were better than whatever else they were with. The entire bowl of tan slop she was handed was so far from her definition of 'good', it would have needed to climb two mountains and swim across an ocean just to be at the border of 'edible.' Thankfully, she managed to hunt down a few pieces of only partially stale bread and a handful of some kind of berry.

Kaito had led her through a maze of back alleyways from the library to an abandoned building where a small, diverse group of bedraggled people had welcomed them. A fire was quickly started in a rusty barrel and food was passed around. The group was eager to learn about Buffy-something she wasn't too excited about, but she politely answered their questions all the same. She stuck to the kidnapping story she'd told Korra, Bolin, and Mako, hoping these people would accept her vague descriptions of her homeland.

They did.

"Poor thing!" a pale, black haired woman exclaimed after Buffy's tale. "You must be so frightened-stolen from your family and brought to an unfamiliar city. Especially waking up in Bender territory as a Non-Bender.

"Of course they couldn't be bothered to help you," an old woman grumbled. "They got no time for anyone who can't move water by shaking their arms around. Bending's a fairy sport, if you ask me. No real fighting in it. No bravery."

"Buffy can really fight!" Kaito chirped. "You should've seen the way she fought Rokuro's gang."

"Buffy is very brave and good hearted." The first woman smiled at Buffy. "I can see it in her eyes."

Buffy looked down at the bread in her hands as if to keep the woman from seeing anything else.

"Amon would appreciate her support," a man, sitting to Buffy's right, said.

"Amon?" Buffy's brow furrowed.

"The savior of the Non-Benders," a young man about Buffy's age explained. "He's leading the fight for equality between Benders and Non-Benders. No longer will we be subordinate to those freaks."

"So...you all are Equalists?" Buffy asked, feeling very grateful that she'd forgotten to describe the wrinkly demon that had kidnapped her as a 'female Equalist.'

There were murmurs and nods of assent.

"Why?" She immediately regretted the question as all eyes flew to her, narrowed and defensive. "I mean, I'm all for equality, a-and in more ways than one. But...but is it really just because you hate Benders? Because there are definitely some pretty big asshole Benders. I had the pleasure of meeting their king today. But there are also some pretty cool ones, too...and this was a bad question to ask _soI'lljuststopnow_." She looked around at the group. Apparently she wasn't so brave and good hearted now, judging by the expressions on their faces. The old woman had gone all llama-faced and looked like she was preparing to spit on Buffy.

"We aren't poor by choice." The man who had mentioned Amon broke the silence. "Employers like to hire Benders over us Non-Benders. Even in jobs that don't need any bending."

"They run our government," the boy Buffy's age joined in. "All of our laws are about bending. They're more concerned with keeping each type of element group happy than protecting the rights of us Non-Benders. More than half of the homeless in this city are Non-Benders."

"No representation, no respect for us. None," the old woman muttered.

"And then they take advantage of our poverty," the black haired woman said, looking at Kaito sadly. "They use us to do their dirty work and treat us like animals." She looked Buffy directly in the eye, her eyes reflecting the fire. "And we do it. We have no choice. Now do you understand?"

Buffy looked around at the group and found years of hardship and heartbreak etched on their faces, where kindness and mirth had been when she'd first met them.

"What is Amon's plan?" Buffy asked suddenly, an angry determination set in her expression.

"He has powers!" Kaito cried excitedly.

The black haired woman smiled. "Yes, he does. He has an ability that all benders fear, that will finally create complete equality in our world."

"What is it?" Buffy leaned forward, literally sitting on the edge of her seat.

"It is the ability to take-"

A metal door crashed open.

"You Street Rats are in for it now! How many times have I kicked you out of here?" an angry voice shouted from the doorway. "I've called the police!"

Buffy groaned in annoyance. She picked up her uneaten bowl of slop and threw it Frisbee-style in the direction of the voice. There was a _thud_ followed by a simultaneous _crash _and _thump_. The group looked at Buffy in shock and awe.

"Let's go before he wakes up," she said, searching for water to put out the fire. "He'll be a lot less yell-y when he does, but a lot more attack-y."

She looked over at Kaito who continued to sit and stare at her while everyone else scrambled about, trying to quickly pick up all of their belongings. She gave him a small smile. He burst into a wide grin.

"You're going to save us," he said softly. "I know it."


	3. Chapter 3: Fashion and Fangirls

Chapter Three: Fashion and Fangirls

_Disclaimer: I do not own _Buffy the Vampire Slayer _nor _The Legend of Korra. _They belong to Whedon and Bryke._

**Author's Note: I would like to apologize for all of the formatting/grammar/spelling/continuity issues in the past two chapters. I have found an excellent beta reader so things should be better from now on. I want to thank those readers who helped me out by bringing those mistakes to my attention—seriously, I appreciate it. I also really appreciate all of the positive feedback I've been getting. I'm so happy you all like the story! The support of you readers keeps me going. I'm also sorry that this chapter is so late—my life exploded on me but I've cleaned it all up now. I hope that you enjoy this chapter! Cheers!**

"Buffy, we've been discussing how we can best help you get home. The plan we've decided upon will not be easy to-"

"We're taking you to Amon, girl," the old woman, Rika, interrupted. Aimi, the black-haired woman, glared at her.

Buffy, who'd only just opened her eyes after an uncomfortable night's sleep in a bush, stared at them blankly. Rika sighed loudly and grabbed Buffy's arm.

"Get your lazy buns out of bed and let's go!"

"Rika, we can't take her like this." Aimi crossed her arms.

"Yeah," Buffy mumbled, lying back down. "You can't take me like this."

"If she's going to appear before Amon, she has to look presentable. Right now her clothes are torn to pieces, her skin is covered in dirt, and her hair-"

"Okay! I get it, I'm gross." Buffy sat up, pouting.

"Is she ready?" Kaito came running over.

"She's ready," Buffy grumbled while she got to her feet. "So how are we going to make me 'presentable'? Don't tell me one of you is my fairy godmother..."

It was their turn to stare at her blankly.

"So that's a no." She sighed. "What's the plan then?"

…

Kaito and the boy Buffy's age—who hadn't seemed to want to introduce himself so Buffy named him "the Grump"-took Buffy to one of the many boutiques she'd drooled over on her first outing in the city. They stood across the street from it, in front of a music store. Kaito and the Grump exchanged a look before Kaito casually wandered over to the boutique, and disappeared inside. Buffy moved to follow him, but the Grump stopped her, yanking her back.

"Wait," he grunted. He pointed to the window of the music store. "Watch."

It took Buffy a moment to realize that he meant to watch the reflection in the window, not the trumpet-y thing that was proudly displayed behind the glass. The reflection clearly showed the entire front of the boutique. A minute later, Kaito came running out of the store, something clenched tightly in his hands. He ran in the opposite direction from where Buffy and the Grump stood. She watched him until he ran into the edge of the window and disappeared. A bewildered and angry man came running out of the store after Kaito, screaming something high-pitched and incoherent. He also vanished at the same edge of the window as Kaito. The Grump quickly spun around and casually headed toward the boutique. Buffy watched him go in, made certain the coast was clear, and then followed after him.

Her eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the dimmer lighting of the store. Despite her momentary blindness, she quickly spotted the Grump pulling a yellow dress off a rack.

She crossed her arms. "So...what? We're stealing now?"

He leveled his gaze at her. "The benders take from us, we take from them."

Buffy stared into his pale green eyes as if reading a book. The hand he held onto the yellow dress with twitched, revealing his discomfort under her gaze.

She turned her head away suddenly. "An eye for an eye...never mind. Grab the green dress and those brown leggings." She looked over at the collection of shoes.

"What?" he asked, taken aback.

Buffy didn't look at him but grabbed a pair of boots. "I won't be able to fight in that dress without shredding it. Besides, yellow's not my color."

The Grump sneered, "We don't have time for you to be a fashion-"

"We don't have time to argue." She strolled out of the boutique, keeping the boots under her arm

The Grump blinked, shook his head, and grabbed the other dress and leggings.

…

"_Dum da-da dum da duuuuuuum!_" Kaito danced around the front of a giant leafless tree. "Introducing-"

"Sit down, boy!" Rika shouted as she came around from the back of the tree. She was closely followed by Aimi. Buffy came out shortly after them, practicing a few kicks and jumps. The dress flowed with her movements, and was not so long that it would get tangled up in things. The leggings provided her with protection from flashing her opponents (like they'd be able to take her seriously once they'd seen her pink panties). The boots took forever to lace up but they looked awesome. Aimi had pinned her hair in an intricate up-do that wasn't Buffy's first choice to wear when fighting, but it did look great and held in place well enough.

"I think I'm ready," Buffy said, backflipping over to Kaito.

"You look beautiful, Buffy," Aimi complimented with a bright smile.

Buffy returned the smile gratefully. "Are you ready to go?"

"Oh, Buffy, we're not coming with you."

Her smiled fell. "Why not?"

Rika snorted. "You think people will look at a young girl in a fancy dress, walking around with a bunch of misfit ragamuffins and think, 'Nope, nothing strange about that'? Use your head, girl!"

"Then how am I supposed to find Amon?" Buffy placed her hands on her hips.

"You're going to follow me," Kaito said, trying to imitate Buffy's backflip, but managing only to do a pitiful somersault. "But secretly."

Buffy looked doubtful. "Are you sure this Amon guy can really help me?"

"As I said before," Aimi replied patiently, placing a comforting hand on Buffy's back, "Amon has great knowledge of both this world and the spirit world. If he cannot help you, then I do not know who can."

"Spirit world..." Buffy repeated, lost in thought. She quickly returned to herself and smiled up at Aimi. "Thank you. For everything. I mean, I probably would've spent another entire day in the library if it hadn't been for you." Her expression became solemn. "So, seriously, _thank you_." A grin tugged at her corners of her mouth as she was pulled into Aimi's arms.

"Kaito knows the way well." She held Buffy tightly to her. "Take care of him. Take care of yourself."

Buffy pulled away, nodding. She looked over at Rika and dragged her into a hug.

"You're welcome," she said in a gentle voice that shocked Buffy. She then walked out of the hug and ordered sharply, "Now go!"

Buffy saluted. "Tell the others goodbye for me?"

Aimi nodded. "Of course."

"Well, we're off to see the Wizard. Come on, Toto!" With a final wave she took off running, chased after by Kaito.

No one noticed the large figure crouched behind the nearby bushes.

…

"Please! _Please!_"

The word was uttered over and over with such desperation and volume, that it seemed as if the walls themselves were crying. The Hooded One moved silently toward the cowering man. He slowly lifted a gloved hand and reached out to the man.

The door burst open. A tall, muscular older man in a sort of uniform came running into the room.

"Sir! We believe we've found her!"

The Hooded One slowly turned around to face the muscular man. "How can you be sure?"

"Our source has met her, sir. He says she said she comes from a land very far away but won't say any more about it. She looks like no one I've ever seen before. Her eyes...and the way she fights, sir! She is small but she defeated a gang of Benders-"

"Where is she?" the Hooded One interrupted.

"Heading this way, sir. She's coming to see you."

The Hooded One nodded. "Very good. Thank you, Brother." He turned back around and looked at a tall, thin man that had been hiding in the shadows. "Lieutenant, station yourself at the entrance and be prepared to greet her. Bring her directly to me. Use force if you must but do _not _let her escape."

The Lieutenant gave a slight bow and silently left the room with the muscular man.

"Wh-who were you talking about?" the bound up man on the floor demanded weakly. He was now lying on his side. The Hooded One slowly lowered himself into a squat and once more reached out to the man.

"My secret weapon."

…

Buffy was quick. It was something she prided herself on when it came to her fighting skills. However, she did not seem to be quick enough to keep up with Kaito. It didn't help that he was trying so hard to be stealthy that he would disappear around corners randomly, and reappear four feet further down the street. Buffy attempted to remain cool, as if she were just out for a stroll, but Kaito's speed forced her to go so fast that she was doing more of a power-walk than a mosey. She dodged around people talking and shopping, ignoring the angry glares she received from those individuals whose conversations she walked through. She managed to only bump into one guy, but as she did...

"_AHHHHHHHHHH!_"

The scream ran through Buffy's body like an electrical current through a metal conductor. She quickly turned in the direction of the scream in a defensive stance. Rushing toward her was a group of girls around her age, crying and squealing. She raised an eyebrow and slowly came out of her stance, placing a hand on her hip. What was going on? And...why weren't they stopping? Buffy began backing up as the group grew closer. She soon found herself pressed against something soft and warm.

"Hello," a sultry voice purred into her ear. Large hands wrapped themselves around her shoulders.

Buffy tried to shake him off. "I _so _do not have time for this. Move it or lose it."

"Fiesty," he replied approvingly.

"Not interested." She twisted away from him.

"Wasn't offering."

She found herself face-to-face with a guy only a few years older than her and ridiculous hair. He smirked annoyingly at her, a hand casually resting on his hip. Buffy opened her mouth to retort but was cut off by shrieks of "Tahno! Tahno!"

A tight knowing smile crept across Buffy's face. "So _you're_ Tahno."

The guy flashed what Buffy supposed was his "I-Am-In-Love-With-Myself-So-You-Should-Be-Too" smile. Buffy soon found herself being pushed toward him and, at the same time, pulled backward as the group of girls surged forward. Nervous giggles, sniffling, and incessant questions created a wall of sound around Buffy. She was pinned between two girls trying to fight their way closer to Tahno. He waved his hand over a nearby barrel of water and a thick strand of it gracefully flew up to follow his movements. The crowd erupted in cries of excitement.

_Another asshole Bender_, Buffy thought with a snort. _No wonder there's a "We Hate Benders" club_.

"Tahno, can I get your autograph?"

"Can I touch your hair?"

"Can I marry you?!"

"Obsess much?" Buffy muttered.

Suddenly a small hand wrapped itself around her wrist and began tugging. She looked down to find Kaito trying to pull her out of the throng, using all of the strength his could muster from his tiny frame.

"What do you think you're doing?" Tahno said scornfully, staring down at Kaito. His lips were twisted in disgust.

"Back off, Water Boy," Buffy growled.

"Ew! Don't let him touch me!" one girl shrieked.

"Get out of here, you dirty loser," another spat.

The screams of excitement quickly turned into cruel jeering. Kaito let go of her arm and backed away, his eyes wide and shining. Out of nowhere, a half-eaten piece of fruit was thrown at him. It hit his temple with a _splat. _He dropped to the ground and curled in on himself as other bits of garbage began landing on him. Buffy had had enough. She pushed the girls off of her, not worrying about how much force she applied, and moved toward Kaito. Kneeling down, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying to get him to stand. One girl at the front of the group sent a kick toward him but Buffy stopped it by grabbing her ankle with one hand. She raised it up high enough to make the girl squeal nervously.

"Next time, I'll break it." Her face burned with rage. With a final warning squeeze she dropped the girl's ankle and turned her attention back to Kaito. Once she'd gotten him into a standing position, the taunting started up again.

"She's holding his nasty hand!"

"She's a Street Rat lover."

"Isn't he a little young for you?"

Buffy looked over at Tahno, who had complete sway over these girls, but remained silent and smirking. She made a noise of disappointment and disgust and turned away. When they'd gotten about five feet away, Buffy yanked herself out of her red vision enough to check on Kaito. He was holding onto her hand tightly and his lower lip was quivering. He seemed determined not to cry though. Buffy picked him up and he wrapped his legs around her middle and his arms around her neck.

"Why do they hate me?" he whispered into the crook of her neck.

Buffy only squeezed him comfortingly in response; she didn't have an answer.

"Let's go see Amon."


End file.
